Dartmouth Library Muse

Coming from Texas, football was always The One Sport to Rule Them All. We take our pigskins seriously.

You can imagine my surprise, then, moving up to New Hampshire and hearing the awed tones of those around me speaking of Babe Ruth, and the ruthless fights debating the merits of the Yankees and the Red Sox. The latter, though, seem to hold a special place in our community's heart. With Boston only a few hours away, it's no wonder that the Red Sox are especially loved. Baseball shapes the community and brings it together, creates a continuity between past, present, and future generations. It is a tradition that has lasted for a hundred years in Fenway Park, and one that is sure to last one hundred more.

Dartmouth professor Harvey Frommer perfectly encapsulates this feeling of tradition in his book Remembering Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox. The book is filled with anecdotes from Bobby Doerr, Luis Tiant, Dom DiMaggio, Michael Dukakis, Leigh Montville, and so many more. You can tangibly feel the lasting mystique of Fenway Park floating up from the pages as you read. You smell the hot dogs, you hear “Sweet Caroline” ringing in your ears. Frommer uses his talent as an oral historian to the fullest extent in this lovely, detailed book. His enthusiasm for the game of baseball is not only tangible, but also infectious. It helped me realize how special baseball is- not only to New England, but to America at large. It is the national past time, after all.

To borrow a phrase from one Mr. Eleazar Wheelock: Fenway may not be the most beautiful ballpark in the world, but there are those who love it. And, as Harvey Frommer shows, they love it well.

This Wednesday, October 3rd, author Harvey Frommer will be giving a talk on this book in Collis Common Ground at 6:30 P.M. A dinner by Maple Street Catering will be served at 7:00. It is free from all undergraduate students, $10 for community members. Soon after, there will be a live screening of the Red Sox vs. Yankees game, where you can show your baseball spirit regardless of affiliation. Fenway tickets for 2013 will be raffled off, as well as other souvenirs. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to BookeD@dartmouth.edu. It's sponsored by BookeD, Ecovores, and Collis Governing Board.